Sushi Chef Sensei
by RingoTart
Summary: "When one door closes, another one opens," is what they say. When Mikan faces the tragedy of her life, she discovers the newly opened sushi shop and opens the door to her future. She can't help but fall for the chef's handsome son, but when he steps into her school and is introduced as her new "sensei", her life becomes even more complicated than it had been before. AU
1. How It All Began

Chapter 1: How It All Began

A/N: Hey everyone :D *smiles a really big smile* I haven't really written anything for a while, and at first I was thinking of just adding one-shots to my preexisting story _The Diary of Sakura Mikan _(which I hopefully will get to), but instead I decided, why not just write a new story altogether? Unfortunately, I've been a huge Debby Downer and haven't been into, well, anything recently, but after reading _Hirunaka no Ryuusei_ (which is AMAZING btw), I suddenly got this idea and wanted to write it out before going back to being depressing old me again.

That being said, I hope you enjoy this story. :) Don't forget to review; you'll make my day!

Disclaimer: I don't own _Gakuen Alice_ or any of its characters. Any parallels to other stories are merely coincidental.

Summary: "When one door closes, another one opens," is what they say. When Mikan faces the tragedy of her life, she discovers the newly opened sushi shop and opens the door to her future. She can't help but fall for the chef's handsome son, but when he steps into her school and is introduced as her new "sensei", her life becomes even more complicated than it had been before. AU Mikan/Natsume

Enjoy^^

_I strolled down the street on my way home, taking the same route I did when I was in high school. I looked to my right, staring at the small, yet comfortable sushi shop I first stepped into three years ago. The smell of raw fish entranced me, and the happy aura and laughter from the customers made me remember why I had loved this place so much to begin with. Slowly, I pushed open the door, smiling the biggest smile. He turned and looked towards my direction, giving me his famous smirk and said, "Welcome home."_

_But the story doesn't start here. It isn't a finished story. It isn't perfect either. But to understand my life and everything I've gone through, we have to start from the beginning..._

"Sakura Mikan! If you eat any more, you'll seriously turn into a pig!" my first grade teacher threatened. After showing us the movie, _Spirited Away_, which turned out to be more scary than entertaining, my teacher used this as a constant threat. Well, to me anyway.

"Buh I'm sho hungwy," I retorted, helping myself to extras. Food was something I had always loved, and always will.

"Piggy Mikan-chan!" the kids in my class chanted, hollering the nickname that had been giving to me upon the first lunch of elementary school. Right off the bat, I ate more than even the teachers did.

"Sensei, they're bullying me again!" I whined, tugging at the young redheaded teacher who clearly wasn't good with children.

"They're right, Mikan-chan. If you eat too much, you'll be filthy and nobody will like you," she sassed, going back to her purse and pulling out a mirror to fix her makeup. She disapproved heavily of me, always criticizing and telling me that a "proper lady" should eat little and in moderation.

If her definition of a "proper lady" was herself, then I'd rather stuff my face than take pride in starving myself skinny.

Throughout my childhood, I remember being constantly bullied for being the "chubby kid" or the "dumb one" who couldn't follow up with a lot of the lessons the senseis gave. While everyone else got awards like "Student of the Month" or "Great Improvement!", I was always in the back with the ribbon that said "Good Effort" or "Nice Try". But all that didn't matter, because even though I was criticized by both my teachers and my peers, I was always supported by the one I loved most.

"Daddy!" I screamed with excitement, running into his arms at age 10 with yet another "Best Effort" ribbon in my hand.

"Mikan-chan!" He yelled back, hugging my tightly. "Our daughter is amazing, isn't she Yuka?" We turned to look at my mother, who was busy filing papers for her company. While my father supported me at home, it was my mom who was the breadwinner.

"Hm, what was that?" she asked, not really caring for the answer. She then turned to look at me, sighing, "Oh another one of those ribbons while every other child holds a trophy for their achievements. Call me the proudest parent in the world." She rolled her eyes.

My mom had always been disappointed in me. She was a genius, working over 60 hours a week and graduating from the top school. My father, on the other hand, didn't care much for school. He had always said, "Happiness is worth more than intelligence." Mom said that was what people who dropped out of school say. But regardless of their disagreements and arguments from time to time, my mom and dad loved each other.

"Oh Yuka, stop being such a downer! Mikan gets this ribbon instead of a trophy because she's my special girl. I mean, _our_ special girl. Lighten up!"

Mom simply ignored him and went back to doing whatever it was that she was doing.

My father had always been extremely supportive of whatever it was I wanted to do. I wanted to be a princess, a pop star, a doctor (which made my mom smile for the first time), and then a chef (she stopped smiling after I changed my mind). Dad always said, "That sounds great Mikan! Daddy will always be your biggest fan!" while Mom snorted, "You're delusional just like your father."

I was content with this. One supporter was enough, and I considered my childhood to be a happy one.

Everything was great, until...

_May-First Year in High School_

It was a rainy day. The first time it had rain in a month. What happened to the saying, "April showers, May flowers?"

Nevertheless, I was happy. Skipping down the hallway, I ran into my new best friend Hotaru, who had just finished her crab brains.

I was about to call out to her, when suddenly a "Sakura Mikan, Class 1-C, report to the principal's office immediately" interrupted me.

"Aish, what did you do this time, Baka?" was Hotaru's response.

I ignored her comment and ran to the office, afraid they were going to tell my parents about my latest math test.

I was expecting to get yelled at, or at the very least, a long lecture on my grades. Instead, when I opened the door, there was complete and utter silence and none of the teachers, nor the principal, would look me in the eye.

"Uhm, Sakura Mikan, from Class 1-C." I bowed, unsure of what else to say.

"Sakura-san, we regret to inform you that your parents...were just killed in a car accident," the principal finally said, biting his lip while all the other teachers stared at me, waiting for a response.

"Ha..ha..you're funny," I stammered, nervously giggling while tears slowly fell from my face and onto the table. _This is a joke Mikan. You're parents aren't dead. They just left for a business meeting in the morning and are coming back before dinner. _But it was no use. The more I tried comforting myself, the faster the tears streamed from my face. In just a short amount of time, I could see my reflection in the puddle of tears. Instead of the cheeky smile I usually wore, I saw myself lifeless.

_I have nothing. My one and only support. My only family. Nothing. _These words kept repeating in my mind as I broke down sobbing.

"I'm so sorry," the teachers said, trying to comfort me. It was no use. What was I to them? Nothing.

I ran out the door, and there was a police car waiting for me. I went in and was driven to the local hospital. The nurse, whose voice was quiet, said, "This way please."

And there I saw my parents. Dead. Unlike in the morning when they were so alive and bickering over whether or not it would rain. My mother, poised and sophisticated in her business suit, looked helpless for the first time. And to her left was my father, with a slight smile on his face. He looked as if he was saying, "Good luck Mikan! I believe in you!"

To this day, I have never cried as much as I did that on that one unfortunate, rainy day.

-XOXO-

One week later, I stared up at my ceiling while my phone rang continuously with phone calls and threats from Hotaru, telling me to go back to school.

I buried my face back into my pillow. The rumors have probably gone around already, and I wasn't ready to go back to a place where everyone was going to question me about the...tragedy.

My phone rang for about what seemed like the five hundredth time, but this time the voicemail was, "Baka! If you're not going to come to school, at least don't starve yourself! Listen, there's this new sushi restaurant just down the block from where you live. At least take care of yourself." Beeepp. The voicemail ended.

_A new sushi place, huh? I guess I should get a proper meal._

I grabbed some cash, combed my hair, and tidied myself up a bit. Gosh, I was a mess from crying.

The sun was bright, even though it was barely six o'clock. After a brief yet refreshing walk, I stared at the shop that stood in front of me. _This little place? Why would Hotaru recommend such a deserted shop?_ I questioned whether or not to go in, but in the end, decided to give it a shot.

Anyway, as they say, "When one door closes, another one opens", right?

Best decision of my life.

-XOXO-

Chapter 2 Preview:

_It was wonderful. I had never seen so many happy costumers, cheering for more food. I shifted my gaze onto the very attractive man who held a new platter of sushi. "He looks like a prince. I bet he's really nice too," I thought, staring at the beautiful man._

_Suddenly he caught my gaze, and I thought it was just like a fairytale, when all of a sudden..._

_"What the hell are you staring at, idiot? Did you fall in love with me already?" He smirked, amused._

_My fairytale dream was crushed once and for all as I basked in the embarrassment of having everyone in the shop stare at me._

A/N: So...how was this chapter? Kinda depressing, huh? I promise it'll get better though! I'm personally really into romantic comedies, but I'm one of those people who tell a joke and have nobody but myself laugh at it. LOL but bear with me as I try to attempt funny scenes in the following chapters.

I know a lot of people skip author notes cause they're boring, but I personally love reading other's side comments as well as writing my own. But feel free to skip it, because I'll probably be rambling about something trivial anyway.

Also I realized this chapter was primarily about Mikan and had nothing really to do with the sensei/sushi chef/romance stuff I wrote in the summary, but it'll come soon! Lots of fluff.

In all seriousness though, I've been lacking motivation to write, and pretty much do anything. I don't know if it's just high school, or the teenage hormones talking, but lately it hasn't been great for me. So please leave a review, and you'll seriously put a smile on my face :D

reviews - happy author - faster updates *wink wink


	2. Introducing the Newest Employee

A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry for the late update, but nevertheless, I hope you enjoy!

**mooshy3712**- Haha I don't think Mikan is chubby anymore, but I do imagine her with puffy cheeks and quite chibi-like.

**adrienna22** - Awhh, thanks! You're too sweet. I've also noticed that the GA fandom isn't as crazy anymore, probably because the manga ended. I guess shounen action anime/manga are really in right now, because lately my shoujo mangas aren't updating anymore. *sniffles

**tliu90095**- LOL thanks tifffffff.

Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! They make my day(:

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice, and any similarities with other stories are coincidental.

Enjoy!

_It was wonderful. I had never seen so many happy costumers, cheering for more food. I shifted my gaze onto the very attractive man who held a new platter of sushi. "He looks like a prince. I bet he's really nice too," I thought, staring at the beautiful man._

_Suddenly he caught my gaze, and I thought it was just like a fairytale, when all of a sudden..._

_"What the hell are you staring at, idiot? Did you fall in love with me already?" He smirked, amused._

_My fairytale dream was crushed once and for all as I basked in the embarrassment of having everyone in the shop stare at me._

My jaw dropped instinctively in shock. Such a beautiful face...and it was ruined the moment he opened his mouth to speak.

"What's with that get up? Did you ditch school and sleep the whole day?" he asked, eyeing my less than attractive appearance. I'll admit, it wasn't the best day. Definitely no OOTD. I had pretty much just thrown on the first thing I could find before I left the house, and I was in no mood to talk to a rude waiter.

"Well, my parents just died, I have no savings and neither did they, and I honestly have no clue what to do with my life anymore," I said, slumping down and on the verge of bawling yet again.

"Oh...I didn't know...I-I'm sorry," he said, with a genuine apologetic look on his face. I couldn't blame him though. My response probably wasn't what he was expecting to hear, after all.

"Wait one second, I'll make it up to you," he said, disappearing into the kitchen before I had a chance to respond.

_Sigh. Maybe I shouldn't have vented my problems to a complete stranger, when I don't even tell my friends these secrets._

He came back not long later, holding a large platter of brilliantly plated sushi with an array of side dishes.

"Here, this is for you," he said, handing me the platter. "Best wishes for you, little lady."

"I guess I could start by getting a job first," I said, taking the platter. "But thank you. That's really sweet of you." I blushed, admiring his eyes. _What a beautiful shade of red. It's mysteriously intriguing..._

"You have my sympathy, for sure," he began. "But the fact that you keep staring at me doesn't change." He smirked, leaning his face closer to mine. I felt my face burning up as he got closer, and my mind went blank. "See? You've totally fallen for me."

"Psh. In your dreams. I don't know what type of women you associate with, but I'm definitely not one to fall for someone I've just met," I said confidently.

Then he did it again. He put his face inches from mine, and whispered seductively, "Hmmm... you're blushing again. How old are you little girl? I'm far too old for you." He leaned back, waiting for my reply.

At this point, I'll admit it; my heart was racing, and I felt like this was more than just a coincidental meeting. And I wasn't willing to let age ruin anything.

"I'm 21," I lied, not wanting him to treat me as if I was some child.

He literally spat his drink out, and I raised my eyebrow. I wasn't sure if that was a good response or not.

"21? You look like you just turned 15! In that case, I guess you aren't too much younger than I am. I'm 24," he said.

_24? I'm 17, so that would make him 7 years older than I am. Huh...well Mom and Dad were well over ten years apart, so I don't see anything wrong with 7, right? An older guy for a change?_

"24 with an attitude of a grumpy old man," I mumbled, not wanting to give the impression that I was interested.

"What was that?" He glared at me and looked almost threatening.

"Oh, nothing," I said innocently.

"I'd rather have the attitude of an old man than look like a child," he muttered.

"HEY! I HEARD THAT!" I whined, really sounding like a child.

"You were supposed to have heard that! Geez, you're loud too," he complained, giving me a judgmental look.

"DON'T JUDGE ME! I'M ACTUALLY VERY MATURE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

"I am judging you for being childish. You're welcome," he smiled.

I was about to holler, when he interrupted my thought process with his offer.

"How 'bout you work here, then? I was going to ask, but my dad, who owns this place, wanted someone who was at least 18, and I didn't know if you were underage or not. You said you needed a job right? Because of the...unfortunate situation."

_He's right. Mom and Dad both worked hard so that I didn't have to take on a part time job or anything, but now that they're gone, I guess I should start working._

"Yeah, that sounds really good actually?"

"The sound of my voice sounds good?" he smirked again.

"Ugh, in your dreams! I meant the offer. I'd love to work here, with all these happy customers, my favorite food-"

"And me, of course," he interrupted. He was good at doing that.

"And the proximity to my house is good, and it doesn't seem too stressful." I continued, completely ignoring him.

"And my wonderful face that you love to stare at, little girl," he commented.

"Can it, old man!" I roared.

"Wow, feisty. I love it," he said.

"PERVERT! BIG PERVERT! BIG PERVERTED OLD MAN!" I ran around the store yelling.

And that's how it all began.

-XOXO-

Chapter 3 Preview:

_He rolled the sushi for me, demonstrating after I had failed for the millionth time. _

_"It's like this," he said, his patience being tested by my constant failures._

_He watched me as I made the sushi yet again, and it fell apart almost instantly._

_He sighed and put his hands over mine, rolling the sushi._

_"See, it's not that har- HEY! Why is your nose bleeding?"_

A/N: I'm not good at writing fluff. :( But I'm trying to make a few light hearted chapters before some dramaaaa.

Happy early Thanksgiving everyone! I'm grateful for the fandom and all the support I've gotten so far, and for all of you guys!

So please leave a review! The more reviews, the faster the updates. :D And maybe even another chapter before the end of this week? Hehehehe.


	3. The Phone Call and the Girlfriend

Chapter 3: The Phone Call and the Girlfriend

A/N: It's Thanksgiving night and guess what? My power went out. T_T I wasn't anticipating on updating yet, but since my internet and everything else is down, I have some extra time to write an extra long chapter (yipeee!).

**mooshy3712**- I updated (: I'll try to do a chapter once every one/two weeks, but no guarantees.

**AnimeMango**- Thanks! You're so sweet! I'll throw in some fluff this chapter for you(:

**Haruhi-chan131**- I'm glad you like the previews! I wasn't sure about adding them at first, but now I'll add them every chapter. :D

Thank you guys so much for reviewing! And thanks to everyone else who followed and favorited! :D

Enjoyy!

Also, I'm introducing an OC. I normally don't like stories with OCs in them, but there wasn't a GA character that fit the personality I needed, so yeahhh.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.

I laid down on my bed and looked to the ceiling, thinking about my mother and father, who were now deceased.

_Dear Mom and Dad in Heaven,_

_Can you hear me? It's me, Mikan. I miss you guys so so much, and it's been so difficult each and every day without you guys. But don't worry, your Mikan is strong! I'll fight and never give up! Oh and also, I got a job today. See Mom, I told you I would be working one day! It's this new sushi restaurant near where we live, and Hotaru recommended it to me. Can you believe it? I get to be around my favorite food and get paid too. And also there's this really attractive guy who works there...Oh what am I saying? He has a horrible personality? Who would like him? Definitely not me. Anyways, I love you guys so much, and I know you're cheering me on._

I took a deep breath and tried to absorb everything that happened in the past week. The reality that my parents were never coming back had finally settled, and I couldn't help but constantly wonder what my future holds. I'm definitely hard working, but the fact that I'm 17 will never change.

_Hmmm...maybe I should give Hotaru a call. She's probably wondering how I'm doing now. I hope she doesn't charge me for all those missed calls...sigh._

_Ring...ring._

"BAKA DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE CALLED YOU?" was what I was greeted with when she picked up her phone.

"Well it's nice talking to you too..." I muttered sarcastically, not wanting to hear her rage anymore.

"WHAT'S WITH THAT SASS? I AM SO CHARGING YOU FOR ALL THE PHONE CALLS I MADE! But are you okay? I heard about the, uhm, rather unfortunate situation that happened," she said sincerely for once.

"I guess," I replied, sighing for the five millionth time. "There's nothing I can do about it, I guess. I'll just do my best and hopefully get back on my feet. It's okay though. I know Mom and Dad are rooting for me to do well, so I'll keep fighting until my situation gets better. Anyway, I got a job at the sushi place you recommended. Turns out they were hiring, and I love eating so much, so I thought, why not?"

"I asked if you were okay, not for a monologue," she faked an angry tone. "Well as long as you're feeling better, than everything is good I guess. But quick question, how did you get a job? We're 17. The legal age to work is 18." (A/N: This is an AU so I get to monopolize their universe as much as I want ahaha. JK but let's just pretend that working at this age is conflicting to spice up the story a little *wink)

"Uhm, about that. I kinda told a little white lie that I'm 21," I gave her a nervous giggle, which usually happens when I'm nervous.

I heard her spit out her drink on the other end of the line. Talk about déjà vu.

"YOU? 21? Mikan, you look like you just turned 15," she said while choking with laughter. "How did they even manage to believe you?

"I've already heard enough about my baby face, thank you very much Miss Hotaru. I pulled the sympathy card and told them about my parents...you know."

"I guess I'm finally rubbing off on you huh?" she said evilly.

"Unfortunately, but I guess in this situation, it did help a lot. So thanks...ish?"

"Does that mean you'll pay me?" she asked.

"Heck no! I'm the poor one now, with no savings!" I hollered. Good thing my neighbors weren't home.

"It was worth a shot," she mumbled. "But there has to be a reason why you lied about your age. I mean, you're the most honest person I know. This isn't for a cute guy, is it Mikan?"

At that moment I definitely knew she was my best friend. She saw right through me.

"Yeahhh...there's the chef's son. He has these gorgeous red eyes, and he was really nice to me and gave me the job. He's also a bit of a pervert though, and he's extremely rude and sassy, kind of like you but in a different way, and..." I blabbed on.

"Are you trying to diss me when I'm being particularly nice?" she demanded, stuffing her face with what I guessed was crab brains yet again.

"No Imai-sama. I wouldn't dare do that," I teased.

"I don't want to hear about your love life. But I can see you finally got over Ryouta-kun. It was a love that could never be, anyway, so I'm glad you could move on. He's far too rich and famous. You would've only gotten hurt Mikan," she warned.

"Yeah, I know," I said, a little bummed out that she talked about my past love. But I knew she was right about me moving on. It was for the best.

"So who's the lucky new guy? You haven't told me his name yet. WAIT A SECOND. Chef's son? Isn't the chef the famous Hyuuga-san, who graduated from the top notch school and now owns 52 branches of Sushi Kingdom? (A/N: I know it's a lame name, but I suck at naming things so poop.) That would make his son the food prodigy Natsume Hyuuga!" she exclaimed, literally giving me the biography my new somewhat love interest. I'm not in love with him yet, but I will admit it, he's caught my attention.

"Wow, you know so much about him, why don't you date him?" I joked. _Natsume Hyuuga. I'd never asked for his name. Natsume..._

"I have to keep up with the rich businessmen in our area if I want to be successful Mikan. It's data. Anyway, he's pretty well-known here. He's not as famous as Ryouta-kun who sings, but he is pretty scouted by women, so be careful."

I was pretty surprised after hearing all of this. He seemed pretty normal, excluding the fact that he was a beautiful human being. He was just a normal, 23 year old pervert. He didn't come off as the flashy type.

"I didn't know that even after meeting him though. Maybe that's why there were so many people," I said.

"Yeah, that's why I recommended it. I didn't know the Hyuugas were here. You should've taken me with you baka! It was a chance to hear a real success story. They weren't always rich, you know?" She continued throwing knowledge at me.

"Well you can come with me whenever. I have work after schools on Tuesdays and Thursdays if you want to meet him. I can't deny the fact that he's caught my attention. Oh Hotaru, what do I do?" I whined.

"About that-"

"And he's so much older than I am! He calls me little girl...but you know my parents had a pretty big age gap as well, and it turned out pretty well, for the most part," I interrupted.

"Mikan. Listen to me. Natsume Hyuuga...has a girlfriend," she said at last.

_A girlfriend. A girlfriend? _It took a while for it to register in my brain.

"Hello? Mikan? Are you still there? Mikan Sakura! Mi-Mikan? HELLO?" she yelled impatiently.

"Ohh...sorry," I whispered, not really sure of how to reply to that.

"Yeah, you know Sumire Shouda? The heir to the big company, Shouda Inc.?" she asked.

"No, the name sounds kinda familiar, but I don't really remember," I said honestly.

"It's the company that deals with hair products. Your curling iron, hair clips, bobby pins...they're all by Shouda Inc," she explained.

"Oh yeah. But I wasn't talking about that. I meant Sumire...Sumire Shouda. Why does that name sound so familiar?" I continued wondering.

"She used to go to our school, baka. Don't you pay attention to the kids in class? You need to; it's good data and a reference for future blackmail...I meant purposes."

"I honestly can't remember her," I shook my head and explained my difficulty remembering.

"She's the girl who was always outrageous and glamorous. In middle school, she wore a dress completely made of duck feathers. For graduation, she wore a pink prom dress and had her father's people come and throw confetti for her, which is ironic because she scored pretty low and barely graduated. She transferred two years ago, into a more prestigious school," Hotaru said. She was really knowledgeable about these kinds of things.

"Duck feathers, pink prom dress..." I tried letting it all sink in.

"SHE'S THE ONE YOU CALLED SEAWEED HAIR IN FOURTH GRADE MIKAN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" Hotaru hollered over the phone.

"OHHHH!" I suddenly remembered, and all the horrible memories with Sumire came back into my mind. She was the queen of the school, and the fact that her parents own a hair company was super ironic, because her hair was green and looked like it just floated out of the ocean, which is why I nicknamed her "seaweed hair", much to her dismay. We weren't on good terms, that's for sure.

"Why didn't you say that earlier? How could I have forgotten seaweed hair? Yeah I noticed a while back that she was gone. Thank goodness, I didn't like her."

"You're just holding a grudge against her because you weren't invited to her big birthday bash a few years back. And I guess also the fact that Ryouta-kun left you because he met-" she stopped, realizing I was not in the mood to hear this.

"Can we not talk about Ryouta-kun for two seconds Hotaru? I know he was famous and all, but seriously, the past is the past, and I don't need to be reminded that h-he left me f-for...that witch," I said, gritting my teeth.

"Yeah, sorry. But what are you going to do about Sumire? She's the girlfriend of your new love interest after all. What are you going to do?"

I thought about it for a second, and replied with a sincere, "I don't know."

"Don't let Sumire get to you or ruin your life. You're better than that. Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you. And so will Anna and Nonoko."

"Thanks Hotaru. And I don't even know if I like this guy. I mean, I met him like an hour ago, so it's not like I've fallen in love or anything. But I'll think about it if anything ever happens."

"Okay I gotta go watch the news and see how the financial world is doing. Call me if you need anything. And you better go to school tomorrow missy! Just ignore the rumors. You'll be fine," she said, and abruptly hung up the phone.

I decided it was time to take a shower, because that's where I do the best thinking, and the steam helps me relax a lot.

_Sumire Shouda. I can't believe I forgot about her. She transferred two years ago, and I was thrilled because she had never been nice to me. She constantly criticized everyone, and me especially even though I had never done anything to her. And last year when I saw her again holding hands with my boyfriend, ugh. I can't stand her. And now Natsume..._

The next day~ (Let's pretend it's Tuesday so Mikan has work O:)

I walked into school, dreading the fact that my peers and teachers were going to give me fake sympathy for the tragic situation that happened with my parents. I didn't want to hear it. I'm one of those types of people who don't like getting sympathy because it reminds me of the tragedy, and ultimately it makes me feel worse.

Walking down the hallway, I stopped at my locker and grabbed my gym clothes, because it was Tuesday and I had to run on Tuesdays. After greeting a few of my friends, I went to my first class- math.

Fortunately our teacher was pretty chill and had let us pick seats, so I sat next to Hotaru, who wore dark shades to hide the fact that she was sleeping or not paying attention in class. While she slept every day, I drew in my notebook or looked out the window and daydreamed. Natsume was now a common topic in my daydreams, and I was about to see him for my first sushi lesson in the afternoon.

The day dragged on, and I eventually learned to just ignore the comments from other people. But the one that really drove me insane was when a rude girl walked by and scoffed, "That's Mikan Sakura...the orphan. How pitiful."

Hotaru decided not to go with me to Sushi Kingdom, because she had to attend a business meeting with her mom. I walked with Anna and went home to change out of my uniform before I headed out.

As I was walking to my new job, a car pulled up next to me. It was a really nice car too, and for a moment, I was scared I'd be kidnapped by a molester or something. But it was Natsume, who was an even bigger pervert than any molester out there.

"Need a ride little girl?" he asked, getting out of the car.

"Thanks, but I don't want to get kidnapped or molested, Hyuuga Natsume," I replied with sass, sticking my tongue out to piss him off even more.

"I don't recall ever telling you my name," he said, smirking as he enjoyed my reaction.

"Uhh..yeah..uhm my friend is a big fan of you and so when I mentioned you, she kinda told me..." I stuttered.

"So you were talking about me, eh?" he asked, obviously amused.

"NO. No, I was talking about the restaurant and my job," I said as I triumphantly came up with a rational excuse as to why I would be talking about him in the first place.

"Oh," was all he mentioned to say. I could've sworn he was a little disappointed.

"What's it to you anyway? I heard you had a girlfriend," I said.

"Oh so someone's jealous?" he was once again very amused.

"Fat chance. I just wanted to know the unlucky girl, and of course it was Sumire Shouda. She sickens me," I said nastily.

"Oh?" he asked playfully. "But she's great...in bed." He smirked.

I turned red with embarrassment and jealousy, and started walking away.

"That was a joke, little girl. Come on, don't get all mad and jealous. Come here, I'll drive you over." He gestured for me to come over. Joke or not, I was still pretty jealous of Sumire.

I reluctantly gave in and walked over, stepping into his fancy car. It only took about a minute to get to the shop, since my house wasn't far away. I couldn't help but picture him and Sumire together, going out on dates and cuddling. The very thought of it sickened me.

He opened the door on my side and waited for me to get out. I sat in his car, still dazed and disgusted by the fact that he was dating Sumire, of all people. He practically had to drag me out before I realized we had arrived.

"Oi, you're not the brightest girl, are you?" he asked, dissing me and seeing right through me.

"Excuse me? I'll have you know that I'm doing really well in school...I mean I did really well...when I was in high school, which was like, you know, years ago...back in the day, practically the dinosaur age. Hehe," I giggled and talked nervously as I almost exposed my secret.

"Whatever you say, little girl. You honestly could pass for a high schooler, maybe even a middle school kid," he joked, mocking me yet again. High school was understandable, I mean, I am in high school for crying out loud. But middle school? I was offended.

He led me into the shop, but from the back this time. For a rich family, they really didn't splurge on the shop. The entrance to the back was pretty creepy. It was kinda like this deserted alleyway with no lights and was dark despite it only being 3 in the afternoon. There were cobwebs on the walls and it was extremely narrow. A staircase led us up to the shop, and I nearly tripped, but Natsume caught me as I stumbled.

"Careful," he mumbled, grabbing onto my arm.

"Th-thanks," I said, my head down in embarrassment. I was at a loss of words.

As we entered the store, he asked me an important question that would normally be asked in an interview.

"Do you even know how to make sushi?" was the question.

"Uh, actually, I've eaten so many different kinds of sushi that it can't be hard to recreate it," I said, sugarcoating the truth.

"So basically you've never cooked before in your life, but you're a piggy who likes to eat sushi." He stated the blunt truth, and my face turned slightly red in embarrassment.

"That's another way of putting it," I said, sighing. I was starting to be afraid of getting fired because I really needed this job to support myself.

"Well, then, there's a first for everything," he said, rolling up his sleeves and gesturing for me to do the same.

He demonstrated how he rolled the sushi, and it was perfect. Everything about it was perfect. The rolling of the seaweed, the movements...him. It was heavenly.

"Now you try," he said, interrupting my thought process.

"Wh-what?" I said, still dazed.

"Repeat what I did and try making it."

"Uh...okay," I said, trying to recreate his movements. Instead of being elegant, it turned out sloppy and far from perfection.

He rolled the sushi for me, demonstrating after I had failed for the millionth time.

"It's like this," he said, his patience being tested by my constant failures.

He watched me as I made the sushi yet again, and it fell apart almost instantly.

He sighed and put his hands over mine, rolling the sushi.

"See, it's not that har- HEY! Why is your nose bleeding?"

-XOXO-

Chapter 4 Preview:

_"There's a guy! I know there's a guy!" Anna chanted, getting Nonoko excited too as she questioned my personal life._

_"Of course there's a guy, Anna. The problem is, how is she going to get this guy?" Hotaru commented._

_"Guys, I don't really know if I even like this guy," I mumbled, unsure of what to say._

_"YES YOU DO," the three yelled, as if it was a fact that I was in love with Natsume Hyuuga._

_Sleepovers..._

A/N: Omg! This was the longest chapter I've ever written, so I hope you guys like it. I honestly don't know how long I want to make this fanfic, but it'll probably be at least 15 ish chapters? So bear with me and my grammatical errors. :D

Anyway, for the next chapter, or the one after, I'm doing a poll on how you guys want Ruka to be in the story, because I'm not quite sure of his character yet.

So Ruka Nogi's character:

A) a transfer student from France at Mikan and Hotaru's school

B) Natsume's friend who's his age and equally as rich

C) a new teacher at Mikan and Hotaru's school (Natsume will eventually be a sensei...)

D) any other suggestions about his character, background, etc.

Sorry for you Sumire fans out there! I don't dislike her, but I don't like the concept of Luna and Natsume together, because in the manga, she's old.

ALSO, to those of you who've read Kuroko no Basket: any Kise fans? I named Mikan's ex after him, because he is beautiful. :D He'll come up again, but probably not until later chapters.

Thanks so much for reading, and please leave a review with your thoughts about anything, really, as well as any ideas for Ruka's character. Reviews give me inspiration to write, and the more inspiration, the faster the updates! :D


	4. Sleepovers

A/N: Hi guys! Thanks for all the reviews! Here's chapter 4(: I apologize for the extremely late update. :( Hopefully the next chapter will come a little faster.

**Haruhi-chan131**- Thanks for voting in the poll! As for Ruka's character...it will be revealed shortly (not in this chapter though sorry.) LOL almost everyone wanted Ruka to create jealousy, so maybee. Hehe.

**AnimeMango**- I know right! I love Kise he's wonderful! Thanks! Hope you like this chapter too~

**jessica talom (guest)**- Thanks for all the suggestions! I really appreciate it, and I'll take them into consideration when I write the following chapters. However, I can't guarantee that I'll use all your ideas, because I have somewhat of a plan of how I want the story to turn out, but I like hearing suggestions to tweak the story a bit and make it more interactive. :D And about me not being funny...I try :( sorry I'll try to jazz it up though.

**NatsuxHentai**- LOL everyone just wants to see Natsume get jealous huh? Me too! :D But probably not till later on in the story.

**Cute Tangerine204**- I personally love the relationship between Ruka and Natsume, so they will definitely be friends in this fic as well! Thanks for voting!

**Cerulean Maiple**- Thanks for supporting and reading my other fics! That's super sweet and I'm glad you like my amateur writing haha. I've still got a lot to learn, but your comment really made me smile!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.

I'm writing a longer Author's Note at the end (I know my notes are always long but this one is really long in particular), so read if you like(: Thanks!

-XOXO-

Sleepovers. A time in which hidden secrets revealed and prank call are made. It was no different for Mikan, Hotaru, and their friends, as they met up for their monthly sleepover. This time, it was at Anna's house.

Mikan's P.O.V

"Hmm, is school getting even more boring, or am I just suffering from senioritis?" asked a lazy Anna, who came out of the classroom after school yawning.

"Anna, we aren't even seniors yet. I don't think it's senioritis—it's just pure laziness," Hotaru stated bluntly, not sparing anyone's feelings.

"Well whatever it is, I really need a break from everything. Let's get together tonight! My parents are dropping my brother off back to college, so the house will be all quiet and empty. How does that sound?" Anna asked, almost pleading for us to help her relax and take the day off.

"That sounds great Anna! We haven't had a sleepover for a while, and it'll be a great way for you to relax!" I chirped in. She was easily excited over things like hanging out with her friends or having a good time.

"Yeah, sounds great!" Nonoko added.

"I'll have to check my schedule first," Hotaru said, being the busy one. "But I'll probably be able to make it if you get some crab brains for dinner. That's my favorite."

"We know, we know Hotaru." I smiled and looked at her best friend. Though Hotaru was hard to pleased, I knew that she was as excited as the rest of them for their monthly sleepover.

We almost separated and headed back home to freshen up and prepare some food, clothes, and games for the night. It was hard for me to concentrate though, because the only thing I could think of for the past few days was the incident at the shop...

_Flashback_

_"I guess that wraps up our lesson today," Natsume said, washing his hands and putting away the aprons._

_"Ahaha! I get it. 'Wraps up', cause we...you know, wrap up sushi right?" I laughed ridiculously to myself because I was constantly nervous around him. Being with him was like standing next to perfection, and it was intimidating, to be honest._

_"Wow. You are lame enough to be a middle school kid," he said, patting my head as if I was a child._

_"I won't be able to make it on Thursday because of exams–I mean I'm visiting my grandparents. But Tuesday at the same time?" I asked, trying to cover up my mistake._

_"Yeah sure. But take this," he said, handing me a piece a paper._

_I almost expected it to be a slip that said I was going to be fired if I didn't get better, but instead a phone number was scribbled with messy handwriting._

_Confused, I asked, "Who's number is this? The writing is so messy that I can barely make out the numbers."_

_"IT'S MINE, IDIOT. In case of an emergency. Don't call unless you can't make work or you're in the hospital dying. Unless you desperately miss me and my beautiful face. In that case, call anytime to hear my sexy voice," he said as arrogantly as always._

_"Fat chance I'll ever call you! Who would want to talk to a jerk like you?" I yelled as I left headed out the door._

_Without even having to look, I knew he was smirking that sexy smirk of his. I hate that I love it so much. As the door closed, I leaned against the wall, my face red with embarrassment as I held the phone number of my boss who I hated to love._

To distract myself from thinking about _him_, I started doing laundry, only there was a lot less since my parents weren't home. Nostalgic for the good old days, I opened a photo album from when I was younger.

I smiled as I held up a photo dated back to 2005, with my dad holding my up as I carried a fish. The memo read, "Mikan's first fish, and many to come!" A tear trickled down my face, and I quickly wiped it off and reminded myself that I was looking through photos to remembering a happy time, not to cry.

Suddenly, a picture fell out of the album. It was an old photo, with its corners chipped and dust forming a layer over the picture. I dusted the picture, and found my mother and my father smiling in the photo together. It must of been when they first started dating, because Mom was very serious and rarely smiled as the years went by. Underneath the photo read, "Yuka and Izumi, wishing our future daughter/son to fall in love and receive the same amount of happiness that we have."

_Love. What is love? Was I in love with Ryouta, who left me for a woman who he thought was more beneficial to his career? Or am I in love with Natsume, a man I've just met who makes my heart beat a little faster than normal? _

Love is a strange thing, I finally decided, and went back to doing the laundry and cleaning up the house. I back a few essentials for the sleepover, then made my famous spaghetti to bring Anna's house. I unplugged my phone from the charger and stuffed it in my bag.

—Hours later at Anna's house—

"Oh gosh Mikan, your spaghetti gets better and better every time," Anna said, looking bloated from dinner.

"Or maybe it's because your stomach gets bigger each time we have a sleepover," Hotaru replied, taking her own helping of my spaghetti.

"Thanks Anna! I've been trying out new recipes ever since I've started working," I chirped, ignoring Hotaru's comment.

"Speaking of work, Mikan, is there a hot guy who works there?" Nonoko questioned, and all eyes were on me as I felt my face turning a little red.

"N-nothing of the sort! I'm just really into all things sushi, y-you know? Ahaha..."

"There's a guy! I know there's a guy!" Anna chanted, getting Nonoko excited too as she questioned my personal life.

"Of course there's a guy, Anna. The problem is, how is she going to get this guy?" Hotaru commented.

"Guys, I don't really know if I even like this guy," I mumbled, unsure of what to say.

"YES YOU DO," the three yelled, as if it was a fact that I was in love with Natsume Hyuuga.

Sleepovers...

"He must have flirted with you, right, right?" Anna asked impatiently.

"Nothing of the sort," I said, rather disappointed myself. "He has a girlfriend, too, so I really don't stand a chance. Let's see what's on tv." I tried changing the subject, as it was rather uncomfortable talking about someone was too far-fetched, even in a dream.

"Did he smile at you? Wink? Give you his phone number?" Nonoko asked.

"Smile? More like smirking and making fun of my clumsiness. I can't even imagine him winking; that's a little frightening. As for phone number, why would he—"And then I stopped and remembered the scenario again.

"You got his phone number?" Hotaru was suddenly interested. "Give it to me for blackmail!"

"Well, yeah I did but it's for work-related things only."

"Mikan, where is your phone?" Nonoko smiled and asked sweetly. Something fishy was going on.

"In the left pocket of my bag, why?" I asked, confused.

Suddenly Anna grabbed my phone and ran upstairs, grinning evilly.

"YOU WOULDN'T!" I screamed, chasing after her.

She started reading the names of my contacts out loud, and then paused after she read "Perverted Old Man".

"ANNA I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" I threatened, trying to get my phone back, but Nonoko and Hotaru were holding me back.

"What was his name again," Anna asked.

"Hyuuga Natsume, " Hotaru replied casually.

"HOTARU!"

Then Anna pushed the call button and I felt myself sinking lower and lower each time it rung. (**Speaker phone)

_Don't pick up. Please don't pick up._

And of course, being me, my luck was basically zero, and I heard his voice on the other line say, "Hello?" I could almost swear he was smirking.

"Hi, hi~ Anna, Mikan's friend, speaking! Is this Hyuuga Natsume-kun?" she playfully asked.

I buried my face in my sleeping bag as I anxiously awaited his response. I was both afraid and nervous.

"Hahaha." HE WAS LAUGHING AT ME. "I knew Mikan talked about me to her friends. Is she there as well?"

"Yeah, she's over there hiding in her sleeping bag!~"

"ANNA DON'T SAY THAT!" I shouted, throwing a pillow at her.

"Anyway, what do you think about Mikan?~"

"ANNA HANG UP THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!"

"Mikan hmm," he paused to think for a sec. "She's clumsy like a child, really loud, argues with everything anyone says, and looks really, _really_ great in polka dots."

_Polka dots? Do I own a polka dotted shirt?_ I thought about it for a little bit, then realized what he was referring to...

"ANNA GIVE ME THE PHONE!" I demanded. She tossed the phone over, a little surprised by my anger.

"HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT MY UNDERWEAR YOU PERVERTED OLD MAN!" I shouted into the phone.

"Well, you were flashing your skirt all over the place today. Anyone would've seen it, in my defense."

The three of them whistled, but stopped when I shot them the death glare.

"Stop peeping inappropriately! Go peep at S-sumire or someone!"

"Oo, so someone's jealous again?" he teased.

"No one's jealous of you or your seaweed-hair girlfriend!" I screamed into the phone before hanging up.

I turned slowly, radiating a menacing aura. "YOU THREE ARE ALL DEAD!"

-XOXO-

Chapter 5 Preview:

_Sumire, who I spent the last years of my life hating, was standing in front of me, holding an empty plate. A plate which she emptied on MY head._

_"Are you trying to steal my boyfriend this time? Is this what you call revenge? Your boyfriend dumped you for me! I didn't steal Ryouta-kun from you. He loved ME," Sumire spat._

_"Do you really think he loved you for you? He loved you for your money!" I yelled back._

_That's when Natsume, the last person I wanted to see at the moment, walked by._

A/N: Unfortunately school starts again in two days. I'm a sophomore in high school, in case you were wondering! High school kinda sucks. :( please excuse any grammatical errors and feel free to point out whatever you don't like. REVIEW PLEASEE! thankssss~


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